ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Crossing the Bridge II a collaborative art exchange between

Creative Clay, a St. Petersburg-based arts organization, and Pyramid, Inc., located in Tampa, opens on two evenings in August.

Crossing the Bridge II connects two art programs through collaboration between 12 artists from each organization creating 24 different paintings. Each organization began 12 pieces, which were then exchanged and completed by artists from the other program.

“Portrait” is the theme of the project, and artwork will portray humans, animals and other living things. All works will be of acrylic paint on 16”X20” canvas, $150.00 each.

Crossing the Bridge II features a vibrant collection of paintings celebrating diverse artistic voices transformed into shared narratives through the collaborative process,” said Jody Bikoff, Director of Exhibitions at Creative Clay.

Pyramid Visual Arts Instructor Mari Saito concurred: “The artists of Pyramid enjoy the excitement of wondering what the finished product will look like and how the ‘finishing’ artists will be influenced by the style, thoughts and other visual and intangible stimulus found in their works,” she said.

Crossing the Bridge II runs from Aug. 2 through Aug. 31, with openings on both sides of the bay:

• Pyramid, Inc., Friday, Aug. 2, 6-9 p.m. during First Friday Seminole Heights; 1508 W. Sligh Ave. Tampa, FL 33604; on exhibit Aug. 31.
• Creative Clay, Saturday, August 10, 5-9 p.m. during Second Saturday Artwalk;

1846 First Avenue S., St. Petersburg, FL 33712; on exhibit through Aug 31.

Artists from both organizations benefit by having the ability to collaborate on a gallery-quality piece of work, and to forge alliances and friendships with other artists.

“The artists of Creative Clay love partnering with other organizations in the Tampa Bay area on projects and events,” said Bikoff. “Collaborative art making is a wonderful way to work together creatively. They enthusiastically created their pieces and were excited to meet the Pyramid artists for the exchange of the artwork.”

Saito agreed, citing other benefits enjoyed when artists connect as peers and engage in creation as a shared experience.

“This collaboration between artists from Pyramid Tampa and the artists across the bridge at Creative Clay creates an exploration of possibilities and an appreciation of the talents of each individual artist, all of whom have different backgrounds and unique abilities,” Saito said. “The collaboration pieces portray the differences and uniqueness of vision of the theme “portrait” through each artist’s eyes.”

Creative Clay Artists

• Ray M.
• Lindsay J.
• Carla L.
• Emily M.
• Marquise R.
• Hanna V.
• Artemisa M.
• Lawrence J.
• Michael W.
• Jankie J.
• Sydney R.
• Nicole S.

Pyramid Artists

• Misael M.
• Stephanie R.
• Tyrone A.
• Josh P.
• Antoine T.
• Eric N.
• Alexis W.
• Lee H.
• Sara E.
• Kimberly G.
• Jonathan M.
• Christina H.

Creative Clay’s mission is to help people with disabilities achieve full and inclusive lives through access to the arts by providing expressive, educational and vocational experiences. We serve people with developmental, physical and emotional disabilities, as well as people in healthcare settings, children, veterans, and provide outreach art experiences in our community. Visit www.creativeclay.org. Like us on Facebook; follow on Instagram @creativeclaystpete and on Twitter @creativeclay.

Pyramid, Inc. is a statewide arts-focused day program for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, offering a range of visual and performing arts, catering to students’ level of ability and interest.  Pyramid is committed to providing students with innovative, engaging and meaningful educational, vocational and artistic opportunities to become full participants in their communities, striving to educate the community on the abilities of those with disabilities.

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